Noah Clowney had a career high of 31 points, shooting 7-for-13 from three-point range.
Clowney's performance went to waste, as the Brooklyn Nets lost to the New York Knicks for a 12th consecutive time on Monday night at the Barclays Center.
The Nets' center, Nic Claxton, may regret comments he made about the rivalry between his team and the Knicks nearly three years ago.
In January 2023, Claxton confidently told reporters he had never lost to the Knicks in his brief NBA career. At the time, the 26-year-old agreed that the matchup "does feel like a rivalry," despite the Nets taking control of it over the previous three years.
"It was definitely a good atmosphere," Claxton said. "But me personally, I've never lost to the Knicks since I've been in the league, I don't think, so it's always fun playing against them now."
Since Claxton's remarks
Claxton may not be having as much fun playing against the Knicks as he used to.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were both traded less than a month after Claxton's comments about the Nets' winning streak against the Knicks, and the Philadelphia 76ers swept them in that year's first round of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, New York was two wins away from the 2025 NBA Finals, further showcasing that these two franchises are moving in different directions, at least for now.
The Knicks pulled away early last night, and Claxton had one of his worst games of the season, shooting 2-for-8 from the field with just four rebounds. The Nets' next chance to end the losing streak against the Knicks will be January 21 at Madison Square Garden.
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